‘How can a democratic govt act like this?’: Cong MP Venugopal slams Centre as farm stir intensifies

New Delhi — Congress leader KC Venugopal targeted the Centre on Saturday over the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the new farm laws and questioned the government’s treatment towards the protesters. On one hand, the Centre was ready for talks with them and on the other, it withdrew water and electricity connection at the protest sites, Venugopal said underlying the dichotomy.

“Farmers are on streets for 71 days, they’re struggling. On one hand, the government is ready for talks, while on other hand they are withdrawing water connection, electricity connection. They are harassing farmers, how can a democratic govt act like this?,” Venugopal said while speaking to reporters.

Venugopal said on Friday that the Congress fully backed the protest and further appealed to the Centre to climb down from the “high horse of false and misplaced pride” and agree to all the justified demands of the protesters by repealing the laws – which were passed by Parliament in September.

He further pointed out that the farmers’ movement was not only aimed at protecting agriculture and farming but also towards saving the public distribution system. “However, the power-drunk Modi government is trying every mean trick of the trade to tire out and defame the protesting millions.” the Congress MP added.

Meanwhile, the farmers began their countrywide highway blockade, called ‘chakka jam’, for three hours (12pm-3pm) in order to protest the ban on internet services at protest sites along with other difficulties they had been facing.

Security was beefed up at the Ghazipur, Tikri and other such border points and the Delhi Police detained several protesters in the Shahidi Park area in the national Capital. The Police added that nearly 50,000 security personnel, including paramilitary and reserve forces, were deployed in the Delhi-NCR region to maintain law and order.